DENVER, CO – JANUARY 12: Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker (83) makes a catch for a first down in the third quarter. The Denver Broncos take on the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on January 12, 2014.

There is no nostalgia in the air for Wes Welker this week as he prepares for Sunday’s AFC championship game against the New England Patriots, the team with which he spent six magical seasons before joining the Broncos in 2013.

That wasn’t the case in Week 12 of the regular season when Welker became a sought-after story line when the Broncos traveled to New England.

“I think our media guys had me do like four sit-down (interviews), different media stuff,” he said Wednesday. “There was a lot of stuff going on during that week. I’m glad to have all that stuff over with and really just focus on the game and get ready for it.”

In the Patriots’ 34-31 overtime victory over the Broncos, Welker had four receptions for 31 yards. Sunday in Denver’s 24-17 divisional playoff victory over San Diego, Welker returned from a concussion to catch six passes for 38 yards and a touchdown.

“I feel a lot better,” he said. “Taking five weeks off is a little bit different, but it is still good to get that game under your belt.”

Omaha! Omaha! Peyton Manning, one presumes, knows that Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska. But the quarterback is not about to divulge what it means when he screams the word at the line of scrimmage.

“Omaha is a run play, but it could be a pass play or a play-action pass depending on a couple of things — the wind, which way we are going, the quarter and the jerseys that we’re wearing,” he deadpanned. “It varies, really, from play to play. There’s your answer to that one.”

Painter plan. Promoting rookie offensive tackle Vinston Painter from the practice squad, where he had been through the first 18 weeks of the season, to the Broncos’ 53-man roster Tuesday was a surprise considering there was no particular need with the relative good health of starters Chris Clark and Orlando Franklin and backup Winston Justice.

It turns out San Francisco needed tackle depth entering the NFC championship game Sunday at Seattle and tried to sign Painter off the Broncos’ practice squad. Instead, the Broncos signed Painter, whom the team selected in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, to their 53-man roster.

It’s a nice financial bump for Painter who will get a $42,000 player share for being on the 53-man roster for AFC championship game week. If the Broncos win the Super Bowl, their players will get an additional $92,000 each, and $46,000 if they lose the Super Bowl.

Compare that to the minimum practice squad salary of $6,000 per week.

Footnote. The only Broncos player who wasn’t a full participant at Wednesday’s practice was safety Mike Adams, who saw limited duty because of a bruised thigh.

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